The British director, who established himself as one of Hollywood's hottest new film-makers with last year's $481m box-office smash, is rumoured to be quitting the follow-up, titled Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, for scheduling reasons Studio 20th Century Fox wants the next film in the series to arrive in time for 23 May 2014, which Wyatt apparently thinks is over-ambitious.

If Deadline's report is correct, it would underline Hollywood studios' increasing impatience when it comes to potential money-spinning franchises. Catherine Hardwicke left the Twilight saga after the hugely lucrative first film in 2008, because she wanted more time to deliver a follow-up than the studio was prepared to allow. Hunger Games director Gary Ross decided not to take on sequel Catching Fire earlier this year after it became apparent that Lionsgate (which bought Summit two years ago) wanted to push the sequel out in time for November next year.

Wyatt's reported decision is surprising because the Rise of the Planet of the Apes sequel already has a script, by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, which Fox likes. The first film, starring James Franco, John Lithgow and motion-captured Andy Serkis as Caesar the ape, also left events perfectly poised for a sequel.